Burglar-alarm.



P. A. VANHAUTER. BURGLAB. ALARM.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

PETER A. VANHAUTER, OF LODI, NEW JERSEY.

BURGLAR-ALABM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

Application filed .Tune 17, 1912. Serial No. 704,177.

reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invent-ion relates to improvements in burglar alarms and has for its primary object to provide a simple and efficient electrical alarm device for application to a door or window which will be operated upon an attempt to destroy the device whereby the electrical circuit will be closed and the alarm sounded. l

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved switch including pivotally mounted circuit closing members mounted uponthe switch base and means for normally holding said switch members out of their effective circuit closing positions, said means including current conducting wires connected to stationary and movable contacts, the circuit being closed through said wires when the contacts are engaged or through the movable switch members when the wires are broken or pulled.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of an alarm device of the above character which is extremely simple in its construction, positive and eflicient in actual use and may be produced at comparatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consist-s in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following `description and accompanying drawing, in which# Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved alarm device showing the circuit connections; and Fig. 2 is a section taken on the linel 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the accompanying drawing by like reference characters.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 desi gnates the switch base which maybe constructed of porcelain, rubber or other suitable insulating material. Upon this base a post G is fixed and the similar switch members 7 are pivotallky mounted upon this post.

These switch members each consist of a body or head 8 which is provided wit-h an opening to receive the post 6. Diverging arms 9 eX- tend from the head S of the switch member, and one of these arms is provided with an opening 10 while the other arm has a notch 11 formed therein.

ln the switch base 5 a contact post 12 is mounted, and is connected by the wire 13 to one terminal of the battery 14, the other ter minal of said battery being connected by a wire 15 to one terminal of av bell or other alarm device indicated at 16. The other terminal of the bell is connected by the wire 17 to the post (3 wnereon thek movable switch members 7 are mounted.

18 indicates a stationary Contact member' and 19 a movable contact member. These members may' be arranged adjacent to a door, the movable contact being carried by the door, or upon a window sash and frame in any approved manner so as to engage the movable Contact with the stationary contact when the door or window is forced open. W'hen applied to the door, the movable contact is so disposed wit-h relation to the sta'- tionary contact that the same may be engaged by actuating the movable contact with the finger, the same being preferably in the form of a push button whereby the bell 16 may serve the ordinary function of a door bell. To the contact 18 one end of a wire 2() is secured, said wire passing over suitable guides indicated at 21 and through the notch 11 in the arm 9 of one of the movable members 7. The other end of this wire is secured to the contact post 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. A similar wire 22 is connected at one end to the movable contact 19 and also passes over guide members and through the notch in the arm of the other switch member 7, said wire having its other end connected to the post 6.

A pair of springs 28 are attached at one of their ends to a bracket or other stationaryA object and have their other ends engaged in the openings l() provided in one of the arms of the switch members 7. As shown in the drawings, these springs tend to move the switch members 7 in relatively opposite directions and maintain the wires 20 and 22 in a taut condition.

From the above description, the operation of the device will be understood as follows: ln the ordinary use of the door bell 1G, when the button is pressed to move the contact 19 into engagement wit-h the contact 1S, the electric circuit is closed through said contacts, the wires Q0 and 22, posts 6 and 19, wires 13, 15 and 17 through the battery et to the bell. Should one attempt to destroy the device. by breaking the wires Q2 or 20, said wires will be pulled, thereby moving one of the switch members T against the action of the spring 23 and engaging one of the diverging arms of said member' with the contact posts 12. The circuit will thus be closed through said switch member and contact, the post 6 and wire 17 to the bell and from said contact post through the wire 13 to the battery and through the wire 15 from the b-attery to the other bell terminal. Should either of the wires 20 or 22 be pulled in the attempt to break the same, the circuit will be thus closed. lf these wires are cut, the spring Q8 will. contract and engage the arm of the switch member with which it is connected with the post 12 thereby also closing the circuit and sounding the alarm.

Froml the foregoing description the construction and manner of operation of the device will. be clearly understood. @wing to the simplicity thereof, the entire device may be inconspicuously placed. By the provision of the movable switch members and the connections between the same and the battery and bell, an alarm is produced which is very reliable and etlicient in practical. use, and which cannot be destroyed by the cutting of the wires, a practice which is commonly resorted to in order to defeat the purpose of such devices.

Thilo I have shown and described the Copies of this patent may be obtained for preferred construction and arrangement of the various elements, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

ln an alarm device of the character described, a switch base, switch members pivotally mounted on said base, each of said members having a pair of diverging arms, a contact mounted on the base between said arms, springs connected to said members and adapted to .move one of the arms of each member into engagement with the contact, an alarm bell, an electric circuit therefor including a battery, circuit connections between the battery and. the contact and between the bell and said switch members, stationary and movable contacts, current conducting wires connected to said latter contact and engaged with one of the arms of the 'switch members, one of said wires being connected to the switch members and the other wire connected to the contact on the switch base whereby the circuit is closed when the stationary and movable contacts are engaged, said wires holding the arms of the switch members out of engagement with the contact on the base against the action of the springs connected to said members, whereby said members are engaged with the Contact to close the circuit when the wires are cut or pulled.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER A. VANHAUTER. lVitnesses CALnN'rn ANDR, ERNEST VALZAC.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

